Stupid!
Encyclopedia
Stupid! was a British
television comedy sketch show
aimed at children of primary and secondary school age, which was first broadcast on CBBC
and subsequently BBC One
.
, and Series 2 by Phil Cornwell
), an immortal
who is the instigator of all stupidity
. King Stupid has files on every human and can make them behave stupidly using an advanced computer system. The King resides in his castle in the Etherworld, a pan-dimensional realm with upside-down wall sockets, which is home to many Deed Monarchs, each of which rule over different aspects of human behaviour: Queen Sensible, King Angry, Count Cruel, and King Wonderful. The Ether World is also home to a myriad of ogre
s, imp
s, banshee
s, witches, boggart
s and many other mythical creatures. Stupid is served by his gremlin butler Goober. King stupid also had a wife named laura isa stupid
Stupid’s work (or rather, play) is made all the more difficult by his annoying purple gremlin
butler Goober (Rusty Goffe
), whom he constantly refers to as a "bog house rat". Goober goes out of his way to make the King’s life difficult. Goober is normally given a variety of boring tasks by Stupid such as going to the supermarket and taking out the rubbish. The love-hate relationship between the King and Goober provides a sitcom-style element to the show with a self-resolving story arc
throughout each episode.
Recurring sketch characters include Devil Finger!, Court Casey, Sarah (played by Stephanie Wookey), Jas (played by Stephanie Wookey), Jeff (played by Jimmy Akingbola
), Box Boy, Gotta Go Joe, Time Team
Archie (played by Travis Yates
), Frank Boffin, Invisible Ian, Scout Leader
(Dominic Coleman
), Karen Jackson (played by Stephanie Wookey), Mr. Steven, Rude Waitress (played by Miranda Hart
), Neil Bell, the Red Wall family, Matty, Makeover Mandy, Penny, Mr Quiver, Alan, Mark Dence (played by Travis Yates), Vince, the ice cream man (played by James Bachman
), and Sid (Tony Bignell
).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television comedy sketch show
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
aimed at children of primary and secondary school age, which was first broadcast on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
and subsequently BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Main characters
The show centres around King Stupid (played in Series 1 by Marcus BrigstockeMarcus Brigstocke
Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows...
, and Series 2 by Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
), an immortal
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
who is the instigator of all stupidity
Stupidity
Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, wit, or sense. It may be innate, assumed, or reactive - 'being "stupid with grief" as a defence against trauma', a state marked with 'grief and despair...making even simple daily tasks a hardship'....
. King Stupid has files on every human and can make them behave stupidly using an advanced computer system. The King resides in his castle in the Etherworld, a pan-dimensional realm with upside-down wall sockets, which is home to many Deed Monarchs, each of which rule over different aspects of human behaviour: Queen Sensible, King Angry, Count Cruel, and King Wonderful. The Ether World is also home to a myriad of ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
s, imp
Imp
An imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word may perhaps derive from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree.-Folklore:...
s, banshee
Banshee
The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
s, witches, boggart
Boggart
In Englishfolklore, a boggart is a household fairy which causes things to disappear, milk to sour, and dogs to go lame. Always malevolent, the boggart will follow its family wherever they flee...
s and many other mythical creatures. Stupid is served by his gremlin butler Goober. King stupid also had a wife named laura isa stupid
Stupid’s work (or rather, play) is made all the more difficult by his annoying purple gremlin
Gremlin
A gremlin is an imaginary creature commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented, with a specific interest in aircraft. Gremlins' mischievous natures are similar to those of English folkloric imps, while their inclination to damage or dismantle machinery is more...
butler Goober (Rusty Goffe
Rusty Goffe
Rusty Goffe is a British dwarf actor and entertainer. He has featured in a number of high-profile roles, including as the "bouncing weatherman" for L!VE TV. He appeared as an Oompa-Loompa in the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and as a Jawa in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope...
), whom he constantly refers to as a "bog house rat". Goober goes out of his way to make the King’s life difficult. Goober is normally given a variety of boring tasks by Stupid such as going to the supermarket and taking out the rubbish. The love-hate relationship between the King and Goober provides a sitcom-style element to the show with a self-resolving story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
throughout each episode.
Recurring sketch characters include Devil Finger!, Court Casey, Sarah (played by Stephanie Wookey), Jas (played by Stephanie Wookey), Jeff (played by Jimmy Akingbola
Jimmy Akingbola
Jimmy Akingbola is a British television, theatre and film actor. Born in 1978 in Plaistow, London to Nigerian parents, he was the youngest of four children...
), Box Boy, Gotta Go Joe, Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
Archie (played by Travis Yates
Travis Yates
Travis Hamilton Yates is a British actor. He is best known for portraying the title role of Billy in the London production of Billy Elliot the Musical from 2005 to 2007.He was in born Manchester and lives in Middleton, Greater Manchester...
), Frank Boffin, Invisible Ian, Scout Leader
Scout Leader
A Scout Leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit.-Roles:...
(Dominic Coleman
Dominic Coleman
Dominic Coleman is a British actor who has starred in Stupid!, Sex Lives of the Potato Men and more recently in The Cup as Vincent Farrell. He also appeared in an episode of My Hero as the shady journalist Kevin Trent in the episode "Shock, horror!" He also provides the voice of Arthur Weasley in...
), Karen Jackson (played by Stephanie Wookey), Mr. Steven, Rude Waitress (played by Miranda Hart
Miranda Hart
Miranda Katharine Hart Dyke , known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English actress, writer and stand-up comedienne. She writes and stars in the BBC sitcom Miranda...
), Neil Bell, the Red Wall family, Matty, Makeover Mandy, Penny, Mr Quiver, Alan, Mark Dence (played by Travis Yates), Vince, the ice cream man (played by James Bachman
James Bachman
James Bachman is an English comedian, actor and writer.He has written for many U.K. radio and television programmes, including That Mitchell and Webb Look , That Mitchell and Webb Sound , Popetown , and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway...
), and Sid (Tony Bignell
Tony Bignell
Tony Bignell is an English actor and singer, best known for playing Matt in BBC Three sitcom Coming of Age.-Career:...
).